I am going in depth today about how to create a resume that wows because it is one step that will surely get you an interview faster. I’ll also include a resume example for you to download.
“Marketing is a contest for people’s attention” ~ Seth Godin
You are your own sales team
In reality, you work for yourself. Your resume is really your marketing tool, a sales brochure to convince an employer to take a further look and ask you a few questions about your product (you). Employers are busier than ever, and you make their job easier when you create and send them an outstanding resume.
My First Resume
It was the spring of my senior year at the University of Rochester, and I was interviewing on campus with as many different recruiters as I could. I thought I’d done a pretty good job with my resume. Well, actually I thought my resume was outstanding.
A friend of mine I’d kept in touch with since High School let me know about a Technical Sales position that AT&T was recruiting for. She could put my resume right in the HR manager’s hand. Networking! Yippee!
But first she wanted to review my resume. Shortly after receiving my “work of art”, I received a phone call. She was adamant that (a zillion) changes were needed before she would pass it along. I was shocked! I thought it looked great, and after all I was graduating Cum Laude!
I wanted that job, made the necessary changes, and I’m glad that I did. Because when I look back on it now, that first resume paled in comparison to what was needed. My first resume never would have provided my admission ticket to AT&T’s stringent interview process. But my revised version did.
Creating your Me, Inc. resume
Step One: Determine Your Focus
Before you even start to compose your resume, determine what type of job you are applying for. General resumes do not work. You must target the content of your resume to the particular job title you are seeking. Make your resume focused and content rich.
Quantify your qualifications
Step Two: List Your Skills and Abilities
List only the skills, abilities, expertise, accomplishments that relate to the particular job you are applying for. Quantify them as much as possible to show the positive results on the company.
Do your homework
Step Three: Research the company
A good sales team researches the company that they are pitching to. They get to know the decision maker, as much as they can about what the customer wants and needs.
How can you do this? Through networking, looking on the company website, talking with employees, connecting on LinkedIn, and other local networking groups you participate in.
Speak their language
Step Four: Spike your resume with the right keywords
As you do your research, highlight the keywords used to describe the company on their website, job advertisements, and career section. Use these exact keywords in your resume.
Also you can utilize Onet Online to get wording for particular job titles. A lot of companies use this as a template for their job descriptions. You can just plug a job title in the search bar and you will get wording for each job title that will help you really pack your resume with great content.
Keep it short
Step Five: A one to two page polished resume is adored
Your resume has to sell the reader in the top half. List your strongest qualifications first. Sections to include:
Professional Summary: Gives an overview of your experience, training, and expertise. It points an employer to why they should hire you.
Summary of Relevant Skills: Bullet the succinct phrases that describe your skills and abilities. You will tweek this section every time you apply for a job so that it is custom fit for that employer. Compare the skills you possess with what the employer is looking for and list these in the Skill Summary Section.
Professional Work History: Include only the last 10-12 years of your work history, your title, company name, company address, and dates you worked there. List these starting with the most recent and work backward.
Education and Training: Add training that you have completed, such as college degrees, diplomas, and other training or certifications that are relevant to the position you are applying for. Your most current education will be listed first.
Honors and Awards: List any notable awards or honors you are given in the course of school, work, volunteering, or groups you are involved with. Include those Awards & Accomplishments relevant to the position you are applying for with the most current listed first.
Military Service: Include your service to our country. It demonstrates your dedication, discipline, and honor.
Professional Affiliations: Include memberships in professional organizations relevant to the position you are applying for or those that you hold a leadership position in.
If you are early in your career and have not pursued professional membership, now is a great time to get involved – it will help you round out your resume and your career contacts.
Keep your resume format clean and professional